The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Jazz - When most people think of Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes to mind, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is really looking after with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people on the dance floor for many years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing number of artists have abandoned the party area for various cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from your broader spectrum of the Caribbean and South usa, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Edm - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played most in the increase of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó into the style too an even more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria is promoting a unique approach along with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only been that artists have convey a distinct emphasis upon the idea of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs like a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be noted for it's passionate tango, and many musicians have found that music is a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a definite language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the work of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often look at the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim when they look at the combination of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, but the style is continuing to grow into something a lot more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has generated upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and created a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a New York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Latin jazz - The dance floor is obviously still a part of Latin Jazz - just pay attention to the background music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a more diverse experience.